--- title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Thought like that showed me the needless…" description: "\"“Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of words like space-time. The average person heard a word like that and figured he'd never understa..." image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg" --- # Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of… ![“Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of words like space-time. The average person heard a word like that and figured he'd never understand it. But it was so simple. Every place you ever saw was linked to a specific time ... the school you visited twenty years after you graduated, the…” quote by Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg) [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg) > ““Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of words like space-time. The average person heard a word like that and figured he'd never understand it. But it was so simple. Every place you ever saw was linked to a specific time ... the school you visited twenty years after you graduated, the football field you played on, the track you ran -- none of them was the same. If they were, you would collide with the generations that had run on them before and after you. The lover you kissed was not the same person he or she was sixty seconds before. In that minute, a million skin cells had died and been replaced by new ones. The smallest slices of space-time separated thought from action Life from death.”” [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) ## About This Quote This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation. The quote illustrates that space and time are inseparable, and every moment is unique because both location and instant continuously change, making each experience distinct. **In simple terms:** Every moment and place is unique because they constantly change. Key Takeaway Recognize the fleeting nature of each moment. Themes physics philosophy impermanence identity perception Mood reflective thoughtful inquisitive Type aphilosophical poetic scientific When to use this quote - personal reflection - scientific explanation - creative writing - philosophical discourse - teaching about change Key Concepts spacetime continuity change identity memory Questions to Reflect On - How does this view affect your sense of self? - What practical actions arise from seeing each moment as unique? A Different Perspective It oversimplifies complex physics for poetic effect. ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ No ratings yet [Average person](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) [Football field](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/football-field/) [Life From Death](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/life-from-death/) [Philosophy of Mind](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/philosophy-of-mind/) [Space time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/space-time/) [Time](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/time/) ## Related quotes > [Then I realized what separated us: what I thought about him could not reach him; it was psychology, the kind they write about in…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jean-paul-sartre/then-i-realized-what-separated-us-what-i-thought-about-him-could-not/) [Jean-Paul Sartre](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jean-paul-sartre/) > [“What if time's not linear, the way people think it is? What if the past, present and future are all going on at the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/charles-de-lint/what-if-time-s-not-linear-the-way-people-think-it-is-what-if-the-past/) [Charles de Lint](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/charles-de-lint/) > [“That time we separated was my idea. I thought, well, I'm fifty years old and there might be someone else out there. People waste…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wally-lamb/that-time-we-separated-was-my-idea-i-thought-well-i-m-fifty-years-old/) [Wally Lamb](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/wally-lamb/) > [Everybody in Odd Future is their own artist - they have their own friends and their own ideas for things - so we all…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/syd/everybody-in-odd-future-is-their-own-artist-they-have-their-own/) [Syd](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/syd/) > [“If during this time, or some other time we were separated, I wouldn't forget you. I'd recall how many years have passed knowing you.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/tomoko-yamashita/if-during-this-time-or-some-other-time-we-were-separated-i-wouldn-t/) Tomoko Yamashita > [“My soul remembered him, my heart connected with him but time had separated him from wanting me right now.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/nikki-rowe/my-soul-remembered-him-my-heart-connected-with-him-but-time-had/) [Nikki Rowe](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/nikki-rowe/) > [“How can you measure the value of the good news of Christ? It is spoken of in the Bible as light in the darkness,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/william-wilberforce/how-can-you-measure-the-value-of-the-good-news-of-christ-it-is-spoken/) [William Wilberforce](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/william-wilberforce/) > [“He was like the other half of myself,' says Boris...Ulrich says, 'You haven't lost {him}, you know. I don't know if it helps to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-dasgupta/he-was-like-the-other-half-of-myself-says-boris-ulrich-says-you-haven/) [Rana Dasgupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-dasgupta/) > [“It is love, the teeth told him, that resurrects life from death. Leave us here. Turn your head to the living.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/naomi-benaron/it-is-love-the-teeth-told-him-that-resurrects-life-from-death-leave/) [Naomi Benaron](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/naomi-benaron/) > [One should stick by one's soul, and by nothing else. In one's soul, one knows the truth from the untruth, and life from death.…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/d-h-lawrence/one-should-stick-by-one-s-soul-and-by-nothing-else-in-one-s-soul-one/) [D. H. Lawrence](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/d-h-lawrence/) > [“There is a thin line that separates life from death, but once it's crossed, it becomes as large as an ocean, and so treacherous…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/federico-chini/there-is-a-thin-line-that-separates-life-from-death-but-once-it-s/) [Federico Chini](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/federico-chini/) > [The partition separating life from death is so tenuous. The unbelievable fragility of our organism suggests a vision on a screen: a kind of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/czeslaw-milosz/the-partition-separating-life-from-death-is-so-tenuous-the/) [Czeslaw Milosz](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/czeslaw-milosz/) > [“In the future, you'll live astride the line separating life from death. You'll become experienced in the wisdom of grief. You won't wait until…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rana-dasgupta/in-the-future-you-ll-live-astride-the-line-separating-life-from-death/) [Rana Dasgupta](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rana-dasgupta/) > [The absolute value of love makes life worth while, and so makes Man's strange and difficult situation acceptable. Love cannot save life from death;…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/arnold-j-toynbee/the-absolute-value-of-love-makes-life-worth-while-and-so-makes-man-s/) [Arnold J. Toynbee](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/arnold-j-toynbee/) > [“brothers, if any among you strays from the truth, and someone turns him back, 20 let him know that whoever turns a sinner from the error of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/anonymous/brothers-if-any-among-you-strays-from-the-truth-and-someone-turns-him/) [Anonymous](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/anonymous/) ## More by Greg Iles > [“path of least resistance, or the walk over hot coals.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/path-of-least-resistance-or-the-walk-over-hot-coals/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [Like my best friend, I asked for drums for Christmas, and got them. But when he moved on to guitar, I realized two things:…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/like-my-best-friend-i-asked-for-drums-for-christmas-and-got-them-but/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“We do not just belong to this universe, we are it.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/we-do-not-just-belong-to-this-universe-we-are-it/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“The mills of the gods grind slowly…but they grind to dust. ”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/the-mills-of-the-gods-grind-slowly-but-they-grind-to-dust/) [greg iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [...the larger world lay not across oceans but within the human mind and heart.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/the-larger-world-lay-not-across-oceans-but-within-the-human-mind-and/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [Experiences are like hoarded gold. Whenever I dole out a piece of my private suffering, that is when I get letters from all over…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/experiences-are-like-hoarded-gold-whenever-i-dole-out-a-piece-of-my/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“Because death is the end, and if a man doesn’t speak before it silences him, then the things he holds closest die with him.”](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/because-death-is-the-end-and-if-a-man-doesn-t-speak-before-it/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [I deal with the human psychology and evil. They are my twin issues.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/i-deal-with-the-human-psychology-and-evil-they-are-my-twin-issues/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“When we reach the intersection with Homochitto Street, I turn right, into town, and soon we’re passing Dunleith, the antebellum mansion that I always…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/when-we-reach-the-intersection-with-homochitto-street-i-turn-right/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [The South is the home of 'an eye for an eye.' 'Turning the other cheek'? The South can't see that.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/the-south-is-the-home-of-an-eye-for-an-eye-turning-the-other-cheek/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [Some things we must pass over in silence.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/some-things-we-must-pass-over-in-silence/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [“Let me tell you a secret, Caitlin. We’re still in the cave. It’s just bigger, and we wear nicer clothes. We make alliances and…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/let-me-tell-you-a-secret-caitlin-we-re-still-in-the-cave-it-s-just/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [I'll read anything that's good. I have no artificial barriers based on genre.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/i-ll-read-anything-that-s-good-i-have-no-artificial-barriers-based-on/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [My father has always been the heart of my Penn Cage novels,](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/my-father-has-always-been-the-heart-of-my-penn-cage-novels/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) > [I've learned as much about writing from songwriters as I have from other writers.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/i-ve-learned-as-much-about-writing-from-songwriters-as-i-have-from/) [Greg Iles](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) [Explore all 106 Greg Iles quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/) ## More Average person quotes > [“She'd always been a little excitable, a little more passionate about books than your average person, but she was supposed to be -- she…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/sarah-beth-durst/she-d-always-been-a-little-excitable-a-little-more-passionate-about/) [Sarah Beth Durst](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/sarah-beth-durst/) > [I feel like what motivates me is what would motivate the regular average person.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/rico-nasty/i-feel-like-what-motivates-me-is-what-would-motivate-the-regular/) [Rico Nasty](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/rico-nasty/) > [We're trying to do something so that when the average person uses Pinterest, it has to make the service better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-re-trying-to-do-something-so-that-when-the-average-person-uses/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [My dad was not a footballer. He wasn't anything remotely what the average person would say was a role model - but in my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/troy-deeney/my-dad-was-not-a-footballer-he-wasn-t-anything-remotely-what-the/) [Troy Deeney](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/troy-deeney/) > [The harsh truth is that Trump is a living co-morbidity, he's over 70, out of shape, eats terribly and doesn't believe in science. In…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/jason-johnson/the-harsh-truth-is-that-trump-is-a-living-co-morbidity-he-s-over-70/) [Jason Johnson](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/jason-johnson/) > [The average person would have quit at the first failure. That’s why there have been many average men and only one Edison.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/napoleon-hill/the-average-person-would-have-quit-at-the-first-failure-that-s-why/) [Napoleon Hill](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/napoleon-hill/) > [There's barely any aspect of our modern lives that hasn't had a mathematical contribution at some point and yet, if you asked the average…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/hannah-fry/there-s-barely-any-aspect-of-our-modern-lives-that-hasn-t-had-a/) [Hannah Fry](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/hannah-fry/) > [I'd like to think that maybe the average person is rational, and they realise that I'm not this crazy monster that, at times, I've…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/james-arthur/i-d-like-to-think-that-maybe-the-average-person-is-rational-and-they/) [James Arthur](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/james-arthur/) > [I know about Woodstock probably as much as your average person who is over 30, where I'd know Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, Grateful Dead.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/demetri-martin/i-know-about-woodstock-probably-as-much-as-your-average-person-who-is/) [Demetri Martin](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/demetri-martin/) > [I get a little angry about this highhanded scrapping of the look of things. What else have we to go by? How else can…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/margaret-culkin-banning/i-get-a-little-angry-about-this-highhanded-scrapping-of-the-look-of/) [Margaret Culkin Banning](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/margaret-culkin-banning/) > [If ergonomists have their way, future products won't be built for some hypothetical average person but will conform to the biomechanical needs of whatever…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/mary-roach/if-ergonomists-have-their-way-future-products-won-t-be-built-for-some/) [Mary Roach](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/mary-roach/) > [My mother got sick when I was rich. And my mother, you know … I don’t really want to get into it, but my…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/chris-rock/my-mother-got-sick-when-i-was-rich-and-my-mother-you-know-i-don-t/) [Chris Rock](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/chris-rock/) > [To measure your needs by that which is projected via mass media is a mistake that has no mercy. The average person views a…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/haki-r-madhubuti/to-measure-your-needs-by-that-which-is-projected-via-mass-media-is-a/) [Haki R. Madhubuti](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/haki-r-madhubuti/) > [We want the average person to use it and think that it makes the experience of using Pinterest better.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/ben-silbermann/we-want-the-average-person-to-use-it-and-think-that-it-makes-the/) [Ben Silbermann](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/ben-silbermann/) > [Some of the downbeat pictures, in my opinion, should never be made at all. Most of them are made for personal satisfaction, to impress…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/doris-day/some-of-the-downbeat-pictures-in-my-opinion-should-never-be-made-at/) [Doris Day](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/doris-day/) [Browse all 443 Average person quotes ](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/about/average-person/) ```json { "@context": "https://schema.org", "@graph": [ { "@type": "Quotation", "text": "“Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of words like space-time. The average person heard a word like that and figured he'd never understand it. But it was so simple. Every place you ever saw was linked to a specific time ... the school you visited twenty years after you graduated, the football field you played on, the track you ran -- none of them was the same. If they were, you would collide with the generations that had run on them before and after you. The lover you kissed was not the same person he or she was sixty seconds before. In that minute, a million skin cells had died and been replaced by new ones. The smallest slices of space-time separated thought from action Life from death.”", "creator": { "@type": "Person", "name": "Greg Iles" }, "isPartOf": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website" }, "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless-ambiguity-of-words-like/", "about": { "@type": "Thing", "name": "Average person" }, "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless-ambiguity-of-words-like/#quotation", "image": { "@type": "ImageObject", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg", "contentUrl": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/c8d/greg-iles-4609_average-person_thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless_3062405.jpg", "width": 1080, "height": 1080, "caption": "“Thought like that showed me the needless ambiguity of words like space-time. The average person heard a word…” — Greg Iles", "creditText": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "creator": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } } }, { "@type": "BreadcrumbList", "itemListElement": [ { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 1, "name": "Home", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 2, "name": "Quotes", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 3, "name": "Greg Iles", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/greg-iles/" }, { "@type": "ListItem", "position": 4, "name": "“Thought like that showed me the...", "item": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless-ambiguity-of-words-like/" } ], "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/greg-iles/thought-like-that-showed-me-the-needless-ambiguity-of-words-like/#breadcrumb" }, { "@type": "WebSite", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#website", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "publisher": { "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization" } }, { "@type": "Organization", "@id": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/#organization", "name": "SMS4Smile Quotes", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/", "logo": { "@type": "ImageObject", "url": "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/wp-content/themes/sq/assets/icons/icon-512.png", "width": 512, "height": 512 } } ] } ```